


Ticket To Ride

by SnowWhiteKnight



Series: The Greek Gods of Westeros [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-06 20:42:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13419258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowWhiteKnight/pseuds/SnowWhiteKnight
Summary: Brienne is told the only way to save her village is for her to sacrifice herself to the gods.





	1. Boarding the Train

The sun was barely rising. She stood on the platform, her hands clutching the ticket as if her life depended on it.  _ Oh, I guess it kind of does. _ The mini-station stood outside of the town limits. It only held a small ticket kiosk, and a bench. There were only four of these stations on the entire island. The fifth station, also the largest one, was shared with the ferry that took people to and from the mainland. The train itself only went in circles on the island, and it didn't matter which station it dropped you off at, as long as you paid for a ticket. Her mind began to wander as she waited for the train.  _ It's more of a tram, really. _

One month ago, a series of terrible storms had swept through the area. It left the the small, yet once proud island in ruins. One week ago, the local oracle brought them a message from the gods. There would be more storms and destruction, unless they sacrificed their most chaste maiden to the Monster of the Sapphire Isle, also known as the Karkinos Crab. 

She smiled bitterly. Of course, in these modern times, she was the only woman left in all of the Stormlands that was probably still a maiden.  _ And that's not for lack of trying. At least Father and the rest of the island will be safe. _

She heard the train whistle in the distance.  _ It's close. _ The island train made its way slowly into the mini-station. "Oi, Brienne!" the conductor shouted in greeting. "Where you off to today?" Bronn was the newest resident of their town, having moved there nearly a year ago, and was one of the few people on the island she got along with. She suspected he had approached her at first because her father was Protector of the Isle, and Bronn was looking to trade in his conductor's hat for a deputy badge, but they made a genuine connection and had become good friends. The island girls loved him and were jealous that she spent so much time with him.  _ As if being considered one of the guys is a compliment! Though, I have no physical attraction to Bronn, but it's the principle that counts. _

"Just going over to the far side of the island," she said. "I'm going to visit the caves."

"To the caves? But no one goes over there. Well, except for the poor sod who's to be-- Oh." 

"Yeah, let's just go, Bronn."

**********

The trip took nearly two hours, which was great time since Bronn didn't make any other stops. The tourists weren't around much during the week, and it was too early for the residents who weren't fishermen. Bronn slowed the train to a stop at the derelict little station. "You sure about this, Brie? I mean, how bad can it really be?"

She laughed, "You don't put a lot of faith in the gods, do you?" Bronn shook his head. "Well, I do. I met one once. Saved my life. Told me to not go out on any boat trips for the next few weeks. My brother, he refused to listen to why I didn't want to go out on his new yacht. He refused to stay with me. He never came back, but pieces of his ship did. For weeks." She shook her head. "I will bow to their will, even if it means my life, as long as the rest of you are safe."

"Want me to come with you? At least walk you to the caves?"

"It's alright, Bronn. You still have your job to attend to. I'm glad I met you, and was able to call you friend."

Bronn sighed. "As am I. You're braver than most, Brienne Tarth. I will miss you."

**********

The walk from the train station to the caves was actually quite pleasant. She was walking to her certain doom, and yet, she was at peace with it. Curious, but at peace.  _ I wonder how the monster will kill me? It was said to be a descendant of the crab that fought Hercules, though no one has been able to confirm the rumor. Some stories say he will rip you limb from limb and use your entrails to decorate his lair. Others say he swallows you whole. I think I even heard one story where he ravages the maidens he receives before killing them. _ She shuddered at that one.  _ Imagine bedding a monster like that. It must be horrifying! Well, I guess even monsters crave a bit of love. I think I would prefer to be eaten whole though. _

She stopped at a pond to rest, dangling her feet into the water. She loved the feeling of the cool liquid on her skin. Swimming in the ocean was great, but relaxing next to rivers or ponds was her favorite.  _ I wonder if there will be ponds in the Underworld. I hope I go to the Elysian Fields. I don't think I've earned a trip to Tartarus, but who knows... _

The day was growing warmer and she still had a ways to go. She gathered up her things again and headed off. The Caves of Tarth were far away from the inhabitants of the island. Everyone knew that a horrible monster lived there, and thus, stayed away. She wondered about the actual existence of the monster, or if it was just a story made up to keep the kids away from the area. It wasn’t exactly the safest terrain. The closer she got to the caves, the more believable the story was. Lush green foliage soon gave way to black, burned ground, surrounded by boulders and rocks. The path, if you could call it that, was barely there, winding around the rock formations like a snake.

The sun was high in the sky by the time she found the entrance to the monster's cave. The cave was inky black, the sunlight, bright as it was, could not penetrate it. She gulped nervously and took a step inside.


	2. Two Gods for the Price of One

He watched her with glowing green eyes as she took a few hesitant steps into the cave.  _ She's brave, even when she's terrified. Such an adorable wife I have picked out, _ he thought, smiling. The viewing pool was one of his favorite possessions, and he had been watching her since he met her on that fateful day so long ago.  _ Now is not the time to reminisce. You have work to do. _

He waved a hand over the pool, creating a glowing light. In the cave, an identical glowing light was created in front of her. With wide eyes, she said in an uneven voice, "Wh-what are you?" He chuckled. Mortals were fun to play with, believing everything the gods told them, but he didn't want to frighten her. Not yet anyway. She was really cute when she was scared. He spoke through the glowing light, changing his voice to be light and lilting, as if she was speaking to another woman.

"Do not fear, Brienne, I am merely your guide. You may call me, uh, Glowbug. Follow me, I will lead you to your new home." Jaime winced at the high pitch. He stuck his finger into the light, and lowered it by a few notches.  _ That should be better. _

"I'm sorry, my new home? You mean I'm not on my way to certain death?" she asked, confused, but she began to follow the little light.

Jaime frowned and spoke into the light, "What were you told?"  _ Oh yes, much better. Last one was more like a banshee. Or Cersei. To-may-to, to-mah-to. _

"Oh, um, not much. But everyone, including myself, assumed that 'sacrifice' meant I would die." She was blushing.  _ Damnit, this is why I hate sending messages through oracles. They always mess it up. Whatever, as long as she's here, and now she knows she's not about to die. _

"What else did they tell you? Specifically?" he asked.

"Let's see, I believe it was, 'In order to save the island from the upcoming disaster, you must sacrifice your most chaste maiden to the Karkinos Crab of Tarth.' The oracle didn't say much else after that."

Jaime smacked his face with his palm.  _ For the love of all the gods on Mt. Westeros! I fuckin' hate oracles! Pretty sure I said, "In exchange for the hand of the Maid of Tarth, I will protect the Isle from the upcoming disaster. Send her to the abandoned caves of the Karkinos Crab alone." Seriously, it wasn't that difficult a message to pass on! Ok, stay calm, she's here, she's here, she's HERE, and now she's yours. _

"Well, your island will be safe, and you will have a new home and a husband," he said confidently, as he guided her light through the caves.

"I'm sorry, a what?" She stopped walking. Jaime frowned again.

"A new home and a husband."

"A hus-- You don't mean... am I to marry the Karkinos?" she looked horrified. Jaime laughed out loud, though muted the light connection so she wouldn't hear it.

He was still able to hear her, however, and he heard the defeat in her voice as she sobbed and the tears began to fall. His heart fell as he watched her slump to the ground. "Oh gods... Of course I am, who else would have me?" 

"Oh, Brienne, no, you are a wonderful person!" Margaery cut in. Jaime jumped back in surprise.

"Margy, what are you doing here?!" he demanded. She merely shooed him away and took over the glowing guide persona.

He wanted to grab it back, but she hissed at him, "I am the goddess of love, this is  _ my _ domain and I am  _ not _ going to let you mess it up any more than you already have! You are my subordinate, and this is  _ way _ above your pay grade. Now sit back and watch the master work."

"Fine, but I'm still guiding the light," Jaime conceded. "If you can get her walking again..."

Margaery sighed and shook her head. She spoke softly into the light, "Brienne, you have been  _ chosen _ by the gods. You've been chosen by a very specific god, actually, to be his bride. You are  _ not _ going to marry a monster," Margaery grinned. "Though I've heard he can be an animal in the sack."  _You're welcome,_ she mouthed to Jaime.

Jaime rolled his eyes, but peered at the viewing pool to see Brienne's reaction.

"Not a monster?" she asked weakly.

"No, my dear, just a measly little god," Margaery said, "But if you really want a monster, I hear Hades is looking for a mate for his dog, Cerberus."

Brienne laughed at that. "No, that's ok. I'm more of a cat person anyway." Jaime smiled. He loved her laugh. It was one of the first things he had loved about her. Her humor was the very first. "But, how can I marry someone I don't even know? It's not like this is Ancient Westeros where your parents or guardians decided who you'd marry. Nowadays, most people get to know each other before getting married."

"You...have never spoken with a god?" Margaery asked, glaring at Jaime. He had the decency to blush.  _ Well, ok, I may have skipped over the whole wooing, but c'mon, marryin' a god here! _

"I did, once. When I was little girl, but he wasn't someone looking for a wife. He already had someone, um, I'm not sure if I should say. He asked me not to talk about it. Even now, I would feel like I'm betraying his trust." Jaime's grin broadened. Her honesty and sense of honor were some of her best features.  _ That and her eyes, the windows to her soul. _

"That's ok, sweetie. Why don't you get up and keep following me? We'll talk as we walk. Well, float in my case." Brienne wiped her eyes and rose to her feet. Jaime took over the navigation, leading her toward the other end of the cave. Margaery's wheels were turning, and she stared at him, daring him to challenge her when she said, "Well, how about this, I'm sure your husband-to-be would agree to a period of time where you can get to know him." Margaery raised an eyebrow at Jaime, who frowned but nodded. "And, you will be living in a home of your own, where he will visit you at night, under the shroud of darkness. He's a bit shy. Oh, here we are. Watch your step."

Jaime leaned forward, his chin resting on his crossed arms as he watched her in the viewing pool. Brienne looked around in awe. "This isn't Tarth."

"No, this is Pebble Isle. Not the one north of Tarth. This is a small island near Lys. When you walked through the cave, you were transported here. It was a temporary portal though, so if you go back inside, you will only find the back of this cave. There are not a lot of inhabitants, mostly other mortals that have been chosen by the gods. Your, let's call him your suitor for now, shall we?" Brienne nodded. "Thought you might like that. Your suitor knows how much you love the water, so he has set up your house near the ocean aaaaannnnnnnddddd...." Margaery grabbed the light from Jaime and made the light ball in front of Brienne swivel around like crazy. "nnnddddd....there's a freshwater stream nearby too. He knows you like to fish, and there's several good spots near your home for both the stream and the ocean. The house itself is equipped with all the luxuries of modern life. Come! Keep following me." Jaime took back control of the light ball. Margaery was too excited to control it properly.

Guiding her to the house he had asked Gendry to build, he waited with baited breath as she took it all in. He had designed the house with the intention that the two of them would be living in it together immediately, but for now, he would just be happy if she liked it. "It's beautiful," he heard her whisper. Margaery shared a grin with him.

"I'm glad you like it, my dear. Why don't you go inside and explore. I need to go take care of some things, but I will be back to answer your questions as soon as I can."

"Thank you, Glowbug," Brienne said, watching the ball of light fade in front of her. Jaime kept watching her through the viewing pool, trying to ignore Margaery's presence.

"So, you want to tell me what  _ that _ was all about?" Margaery asked him in a huff. Jaime rolled his eyes, but didn't answer. Margaery waved her hand over the viewing pool, and it went black. Jaime glared at her. "I will take this to Robert and  _ Cersei _ . Just see if I won't. So would you rather tell me, or tell them?" She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot impatiently. "I'm waiting."

Jaime sighed. "Ok, so maybe I jumped the gun a bit."

"A BIT?! Jaime, sweetie, she thought she was going to marry a monster! She has no idea you are behind this. And that begs the question, WHY are you doing this to her?"

"I want her to be my wife. I was going to surprise her at the house, but then all this happened..."

Margaery looked like she wanted to strangle him. "For the love of me! Jaime! You couldn't just go down and talk to her? Get to know her?"

"I do know her! I know all sorts of things about her! Like her favorite food, where she likes to go when she's depressed, the face she makes when she's clima-"

"OK! Stop right there. So you know her, in a very creepy, stalker kind of way." Margaery raised an eyebrow at him. "And what does she know of you? I'm going to go ahead and guess that the god she met was you?"

"Yeah, right after Cersei...that big fight we had." Jaime stared at the viewing pool. "I found myself walking on a beach. I ran into her there, literally ran into her. She was so little, and she was crying. Some of the other kids on the island had been teasing her, and she hadn't figured out how to ignore them yet. I guess since I was the first adult she saw, she just grabbed onto me and wouldn't let go. It was nice, not the crying bit, I mean. The contact, the simple touch of giving someone comfort. Anyway, she ended up cheering me up just by being herself, though I don't think she knew it. She had, and still has, such a big heart. To reward her, I looked into her near future. I wanted to tell her something good, but all I saw was tragedy. The path hadn't been set yet, so I warned her not to go on any boat rides for the next few weeks, and to not let any of her family go either.” He had watched her that day. She had been crying so hard, begging her brother not to go out on the water. Galladon's path had been set, and Jaime could do nothing to stop him, short of defying the will of the fates. He wanted to go to her, comfort her again, but he had been a coward. "I've been watching over her ever since."

"You love her, and she knows nothing of you." Margaery sounded sad. Jaime looked up at her. "I want to help you, I truly do. I can see her heart, and it's battered, on the verge of being lost to love forever. If anyone deserves some happiness, it's that girl, but you're not going to win her heart by throwing her into chaos. You must be patient and allow her to get to know you the same way you got to know her."

"Through a viewing pool?"

Margaery rolled her eyes, "No, you idiot. Day by day. Or night by night. You claim to know her so well, this should be a piece of cake. And you can use this 'Glowbug' as another way for her to get to know you. If she asks you questions about yourself, be truthful. Never, EVER lie to her. Or you will lose her."

**********

Margaery left Jaime to watch Brienne explore her new surroundings. "Give me a call if you need help, advice or just need to talk," she said, walking out of Jaime's chambers.

He set the Glowbug to auto-follow Brienne, who was now in the bedroom, and lit it back up on her end. "Hello again, Brienne."

She turned in surprise. "Oh! Glowbug, you startled me. Are you ok? You sound different."

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. The fluctuation of the light surrounding me, say that of the sun or this indoor lighting, can affect how I look and sound."  _ That's a thing, right? Should probably ask Loras. He's the expert on all things light related. Either way, as long as she believes it. _ "So, do you have any questions about your, um, suitor? Or about this place?"

Brienne thought about it. "What can you tell me about the god that wants me as a bride? And it is a god? Not a goddess? I'm certain I'm straight, and I wouldn't want to waste a goddess's time."

Jaime chuckled. He had so looked forward being able to talk to her like this, even if it was through a little ball of light. "Yes, definitely a male. Let's see, I guess we can start with physical features--"

"That's ok," Brienne interrupted. "If I know too much about his physical appearance, I might figure out who he is among the people I meet in the day time before he's ready for me to know."

_ Oh, right. My smart girl! _ "Of course. Then, how about his personality?" Brienne nodded and sat on the bed, looking every bit the apt pupil he knew her to be. "Well, I find him to be a very pleasant fellow. He's proud of the work he does. I suppose I shouldn't mention details about that either, but I'll say that he helps people, and he has had very few complaints from his boss."  _ That's true. Margy usually scowls at me and fixes it herself when I mess up. And that's been less frequent in the last few hundred years. _ "He's been unlucky in love. He's been watching over you for a while now, ever since you caught his eye, and has protected you. The upcoming disaster was merely an excuse to ask for your hand in marriage. He had every intention of protecting your island from it. The, um,  _ oracle _ , if you can call her that, really bungled the message. The last series of storms would have been much worse if it hadn't been for him."

"Oh..." Brienne's wide, luscious mouth was narrowed into an O shape. "I had no idea. But, why hasn't he made himself known to me before this? Even if it was a disguise. The god I met, he was in human form. I didn't even know he was a god until he disappeared before my eyes."

"Like Mar--" he coughed to try to cover the mistake, "Like  _ I _  said before, he is very shy. He's afraid of rejection from you. In fact, if you have any messages to tell him, you can tell me, and I will pass along the message. Or if you'd rather write a message, I can pass that along too. Consider me your confidante in this matter."

"Wait, rejection? From  _ me?" _

Jaime blushed. "Well, yes. You really impressed him in the first time he met you, and he wasn't brave enough to approach you on his own. He thought that he could simply watch over you, favor you with his protection and grace, but over the years, he came to love you. So when he saw a chance, he took it and sent an offer of marriage. He didn't know his message had been so messed up by the oracle. When you came to the cave, he thought it was because you had accepted him and his proposal sight unseen. He was the one who sent me to you. Once he realized you had no idea, he became unsure and shy. Wouldn't you, if the situation was reversed?"

"I suppose I can see your point." She looked thoughtful. "So, he really loves me? Even though I don't know him at all?"

Jaime sighed, smiling, "He's hopelessly in love with you, and only asks that you give him a chance."


	3. Exploring the Island

"I think I need a minute," said Brienne.She was feeling dizzy and lightheaded. She laid back on to the bed, Glowbug hovering around her. _This is a lot to process. A god is in love with me. A god that I don't remember ever meeting. What was the name of the other one? James? No, I think it was Jaime. Must be a demi-god. I wonder if he could provide some insight. He said he was a matchmaker, I think? He was kind of an ass though...and it was such a long time ago. Would he even remember me? Ugh, I need a distraction._

"Glowbug..."

"Yes, Brienne?"

"What is there to do around here?"

Half an hour later, she was walking along a well worn path. Glowbug had told her that there was a community area, where she could meet other mortals who had been favored by the gods for one reason or another.

**********

"Oh, hello!" a perky brunette said. She was hanging upside down from a tree branch. "You must be new! I'm Arya. Which one brought you here?"

"Hi. I'm Brienne. Nice to meet you. What do you mean, which one?" she asked politely.

"Which," Arya flipped out of the tree, landing on her feet gracefully, reminding Brienne strongly of a faerie or pixie, "god or goddess. Every mortal here has been brought by one of the Pantheon. So which one brought you?"

"Oh, um, I actually don't know. There was some confusion over why I was asked to come, and now, he has decided to remain anonymous, until I decide if I want to...stay." She couldn't bring herself to say "marry him."

"Ooohhhhh, well, that's cool. I think that's how Maggie started out too, but, uh, it was much less pleasant. I hope you do stay. Most of the women here are too frou-frou to be interesting. My sister is kind of like them except she’s more interesting, but she's back home in Winterfell. She’s due for another visit soon-ish. You, however, look like you have some interesting stories to tell. So where are you from, Brienne?"

"Tarth. It's--"

"Oh! The Sapphire Isle! Called such because of the beautiful blue waters surrounding it, though many believe it to be for a sapphire mine. Your eyes look like two sapphires. Just beautiful!" Arya smiled widely at her. "My sister has blue eyes too, but they're more of a sky blue. And red hair, like fire. Yours is more of a “sunlight at noon” color, but it goes better with your eyes."

"T-thank you," Brienne said, startled. She decided to change the conversation before the pixie could say anything, "So, which god or goddess brought you here?"

"Smith of the gods, Gendry. You would probably know him better by his god name, Hephaestus. I was attempting to relieve him of a particular sword he had made, but he caught me in a rather ingenious trap. He made me earn the sword instead, doing work around his shop, and we ended up falling in love. I live here, but my job pulls me away to all over the globe. Usually not for very long though. Gendry can't be without me for too long, and he doesn't stray very far from his shop."

"His shop is here?"

Arya nodded, "Oh yes! See that mountain over there? Well, the trees are kind of in the way, but you can see it from the beach. Anyway, it looks like a volcano since it's always smoking, but it's not really a volcano, it's his shop. I can take you there later if you'd like. Gendry is in charge of all construction projects as well, so you have him to thank for your new house. Wanna head over to the rec center?"

"Yeah, sure. So how many other people are on this island?" Arya walked beside her.

"Not a lot," the shorter girl said. "Maggie, who I already mentioned, belongs to Robert, aka Zeus. He has a lot of mortal lovers, but she's by far his favorite, so she stays here to protect her from the wrath of Cersei, who is Hera. There's also--"

"Wait, so all the names we have for the gods, Zeus, Hera, Ares, Demeter...those aren't their actual names?" Brienne was astonished.

Arya looked down at her feet. "Well, yes and no. Gendry explained to me, when the world was young, those names were what they called themselves, but the gods are, like, seriously old. If I had to keep the same name for more than a century, I'd want to change it too. However, the world keeps the old names, and they have become more like titles than names. Positions _within_ the Pantheon, because...well, a lot of the gods are...um...new. Comparatively speaking."

" _New?_ How can a god be _new?"_

"As it turns out, the gods are not as immortal as is widely believed, and while they are still very hard to kill, that doesn't mean that it's _impossible_ to kill them. So, when it happens, they find a mortal who embodies the spirit of the previous god to replace them." Arya pointed at the sun. "Helios was never replaced, but he became something else. He was once a person like you or me, and now he's just a giant ball of burning substance in the sky. Science today dismisses the existence of the gods, because the gods are forever changing and adapting to our world, becoming more able to blend in and work behind the scenes. Well, that's how Gendry feels about it. He's the third Hephaestus. Cersei is the second Hera, and she wants the entire world to worship her. Some say that she is the reason the original Hera died. The previous Zeus was seduced by her charms, and when the position became available, offered it to Cersei. However, Zeus also perished a few years after that, and Robert took his place. They are supposed to be the king and queen of the Pantheon, but they _hate_ each other, and mostly just live to make each other miserable. Robert is actually good as Zeus, though Cersei's been on a downhill slope ever since Robert came in. It was odd that Zeus, Poseidon and Hades all died together, but Robert and his two brothers fit the bill nicely. One of the few original gods, Ares, now goes by Sandor. Ugly and mean son of a bitch, but he's ok once you get to know him. He hates lying, and always tells the truth. He suspects that a mortal named Baelish had something to do with his father's and uncles' deaths, but he can't do anything to this particular mortal because he was gifted with eternal youth, though he was kind of old when he received it, and pretty much just stayed that age, and is protected by Cersei."

"Does he live here too?" Brienne asked. This sounded like someone to avoid.

"No, thankfully. He lives on Mt. Westeros with the gods, as a special guest. He sometimes visits, but hopefully not anytime soon. He's a complete skeeze. He took an interest in my sister and that pisses Cersei off, because she believes she is the most beautiful woman in the entire realm. Margaery, that's Aphrodite, is more beautiful than Cersei, but Sansa, my sister, is even more beautiful than her! You’ll end up meeting Sansa sooner or later. She visits most often of all my family. Anyway, Margaery is much more gracious than the stories would have you believe, and is trying to find Sansa a perfect match, but so far, no mortal man has been good enough. Which also pisses Cersei off. There's not a lot that doesn't irritate her, now that I think about it. Oh! Like when the position of Zeus opened up. She was pushing for her brother Jaime to become Zeus. Bit off, right? Anyway, Robert was picked instead. Jaime didn't want the Zeus position to begin with, and like, five years after that, ended up becoming Eros, aka Margaery's lackey. Cersei was sooooooo pissed! I wish I had seen it, but it was waaaaayy before I was even born. That's when her downhill slope became slippery and she's been just becoming worse and worse. I heard that she was actually _good_ at her role before Zeus died. I'm really talking your ear off, aren't I?"

"It's fine. I'm better at listening than talking anyway." Brienne gave her a smile. "I think I met this Jaime/Eros once. Does he had blond hair and green eyes? Very arrogant and more than a bit obnoxious?"

"That's him! Do you think he's the one that brought you here?"

"Doubtful. Our run-in ended with my snot all over the front of his shirt. He was nice enough about it, but he couldn't have been pleased with me." Brienne thought about it. "I wouldn't mind seeing him again, if only to apologize."

"Well, you might be in luck. He's here often enough. Sandor doesn't really do a lot nowadays, the last _major_ war was more than twenty years ago, so he's usually acting as a guard of sorts for the mortals. AANNNNNDDDDD, Jaime likes to come by and tease him. They're actually friends, but at first glance, it's like they're immortal enemies. It gets really funny after the first few minutes." They had reached a two-story building with large windows all along the first floor. Brienne could see people inside, but there wasn't many. "There's Shireen! She's the daughter to Stannis, who is Hades. That one, the curvy brunette, that's Maggie. She's actually Gendry's mother, a full mortal, though she has been gifted with eternal youth. She, and Baelish for that matter, can still die, just not of old age. Gendry was a demi-god, that was raised to full god status when they needed to replace the second Hephaestus. He was actually trained _by_ the original Hephaestus. I like to call him my Hephae-stud.” She giggled. Brienne laughed as well. It _was_ pretty funny. “Oh, see that red head? That's Ygritte. Jon, or Hestia, belongs to her. Usually, I would say the mortal belongs to the god, but they're a special case. It's weird enough that Jon became Hestia, since Hestia was a woman, but Jon's great at it. Protector of the hearth and all that. But it gets really funny when you consider that where Ygritte comes from, having red hair is considered lucky, called 'being kissed by fire.' Get it? He protects the hearth, and she's kissed by fire?"

Brienne covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. "Oh my goodness! That's adorably hilarious." Arya grinned and kept up the chatter as she led Brienne into the rec center to introduce her to everyone.

**********

"So you're the new mortal?" a hoarse voice said. She turned to greet the person belonging to the voice and was startled to see a man even taller than her. It was rare, to her never ending chagrin. That wasn't even the most startling thing about him. Half of his face was a mangled mess, burnt and twisted flesh that gave him an even more fierce demeanor.

"I'm Brienne. You must be Sandor?" she asked politely. He grunted in acknowledgement. Arya had warned her about the man, that he was even less of a talker than Brienne and had a pet peeve of people flinching from his burns. Brienne could honestly say that it wasn't the burns that bothered her, she had seen worse in her time on the mainland. No, what bothered her was the anger in his eyes. It didn't seem to be directed at her specifically, for which she was grateful. She had taken martial arts classes throughout her youth and had excelled at them, but this was _the_ god of war. She had a feeling she wouldn't hold up for long against him. "So are you just introducing yourself, checking me out, or did you have some business with me?"

Sandor blinked, possibly in shock, and barked out a laugh. "You're alright, girl. I wanted to size you up, not check you out. You're pretty enough, but not my type." Remembering what Arya said about Sandor and lying, she was flattered, but was also strongly reminded of her own opinion of Bronn. "The little she-wolf probably told you, I'm the guard of this island. You have any troubles, just call for me, though with muscles like that, I doubt you'd have need of me. You fight?"

"Arya said you weren't much of a talker," Brienne said, a little taken aback by how much he had said so far.

He shrugged. "Considering how much she talks, it's little wonder she thinks I don't speak. Can't get a word in edgewise around her."

"Oh, well, I suppose you're right."

"So, you fight?" he asked again.

"Oh! A bit. There was no one to really practice against back home, except Bronn, so I'm a bit out of practice." _Is he my suitor? He did say I was pretty, but then that I wasn't his type. He seems pretty interesting though._

"Come by my place sometime. I don't get many warriors here, so it's nice to have others around who know how to fight. I run training sessions every other day at my dojo in the mornings. The she-wolf and the wildling brat often come to spar as well. I train them, though they have much to learn about discipline."

It was Brienne's turn to blink in shock. "I appreciate that. I will definitely take you up on the offer."

**********

She didn't return to the house until evening had fallen. Maggie, Ygritte, Shireen and Arya had talked her ear off. They were all very pleasant women, but she felt more than a bit drained after spending nearly the entire afternoon and early evening with them. At least she had gotten a good dinner out of it. There were also a few staff members who worked on the island. Since it was just the mortals and the two gods who lived there, mealtimes were a community affair. The rec center was equipped with a state of the art kitchen, and Maggie was the queen of it. After tasting the woman's cooking, Brienne would bow down before her any day of the week.

She had learned that she was allowed to leave the island whenever she wanted, and to have visitors as well. Arya actually had a transport ship that she used for her job (which she particularly vague about) and was more than willing to give anyone a lift if there wasn't a god nearby to create a destination portal. She also learned that sometimes the gods just dropped by without warning, so she shouldn't be surprised by the arrival of people unknown to her. Except for Cersei, who pointedly ignored the island and its inhabitants. She had caused trouble in the past for everyone, which is why Sandor now lived there as a favor to the other gods, but she herself never set foot on the place.

She entered the dark house, lit only by the moonlight filtering in through the windows. Stumbling through the unfamiliar layout, she managed to find the bedroom and collapsed on the bed. She was asleep within minutes.

**********

She was having a most wonderfully exciting dream. Hands were roaming her body and she was being kissed like never before. She felt cherished, even loved. She wanted to embrace the person but was unable to move her arms down. _Down? Why are my arms above my head? Why can't I move? Oh gods, I'm not dreaming!_

Her eyes flew open, her brain trying to process what was happening. Her hands were above her, tied together to the headboard. Her legs were splayed out, her ankles tied to each of the bottom bedposts. There was someone on top of her, a very _male_ someone by the feel of the aroused manhood pressed into her stomach. He was kissing her, but his hands were not roaming, they were tangled in her short hair, massaging her scalp. She was terrified and yet relaxed and it was freaking her out.

"Oh good, I was wondering how long it would take for you to wake up," the man said. His voice was garbled, like it had been put through a voice distorter. "You looked so cute sleeping, I wanted to try waking you with a kiss, like in Sleeping Beauty."

"You mean the story where the prince rapes the princess and then leaves her there to have his children in her sleep? _That_ Sleeping Beauty?" she spat out.

"What?! No! I would never rape you! Unless you wanted to act out a fantasy, but I would require a safe word in that case." She could just _hear_ the wolfish grin that accompanied that statement. "Maybe we got off on the wrong foot. I'm your suitor."

She ignored him and demanded answers, "Why am I tied up?"

"Tied up? Hold on," she felt him shift his weight on the bed, leaning towards the nightstand and flip on the light there. She blinked rapidly from the sudden brightness, her eyes adjusting quickly and she looked up at her hands. She immediately went red from embarrassment. Her hands were indeed tied to the bed, but it wasn't by anyone's intention. In her sleep, she must have gotten warm and attempted to remove her shirt (thankfully she still had on her undershirt, otherwise she'd be completely exposed), but it had gotten stuck around her hands and caught on the elaborate iron worked floral design that decorated the headboard. She looked down at her legs, and saw what had thought to be her ankles tied to the bedposts was really just them being entangled with the bed sheets. She gingerly unhooked her shirt from the iron leaf it was caught on, pulling it back over her head to cover herself, and unwrapped the sheet from her legs. "Well, that solves that mystery. And here I was beginning to think you were secretly into bondage. You were moaning enough when you thought I had tied you up."

She looked up at the man who had intruded on her sleep and gasped. She had completely forgotten he was there, but more than that, he was an inky black silhouette! She got up slowly, walking towards him and then circling him. He watched her with caution, as if she was a wild animal to be wary of. No matter what angle she looked at him from, he was always a black silhouette. "What... How is this possible?" she asked, poking him in the arm. He _felt_ three-dimensional, but he looked like a shadow on the wall. A very undefined shadow, more of a basic silhouette of a man.

"Well, I _am_ a god," he pointed out. "I have access to magicks unknown to the mortal realm. OooooooOOOoOOooo," he said, wiggling his fingers at her. She took a step back. _Is this normal god behavior? He's...quite silly, actually._ Despite herself, she had to grin.

"Ok, you have a point there. Um, so what should I call you? I suppose I can't call you by your real name, since you have gone to so much trouble to hide yourself." She was still looking him up and down.

"Oh, I hadn’t thought about that. Though doing this wasn't much trouble. I wear this for my regular duties as a god. It just happened to work for these nightly visits, too." He started striking poses. "See anything you like? I can wear this to bed too. I've been told that 'the mysterious stranger' is a common fantasy among women."

She laughed at that. He was being so ridiculous! And it was pretty clear that he was doing it on purpose, trying to get her to put down her guard. _Why_ do _I have my guard up with him? Oh, right, sneaky kisses in the dead of night. But...he's trying so hard. Maybe he doesn't have a lot of experience with women? Glowbug did say he was shy, plus he's around goddesses all the time. So he probably doesn't know much about how to talk to or behave around mortal women. I should tease him a bit._

In as serious a tone as she could muster, she said, "I suppose your lines are good, but as to seeing something I like, there's something lacking in this two dimensional version of yourself. I can't quite _see_ what I should be liking." She reached forward, touching his forearm lightly. It was so strange to feel it, but to see only a shadow form of him. She trailed her fingers down. "I can feel your skin, your clothing, everything, but I can't see it. This is so odd."

She saw him shiver, and his voice became a little deeper, despite the distortion. "I, um, you can feel all you like, if you want. I don't mind."

She raised an eyebrow at that and sat back down on the bed. "Maybe in a little bit. So...what exactly is your plan here?

"Let you get to know me, hopefully get you to fall in love with me and agree to be my wife," he said plainly.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why what?"

"Why me? Out of all the women in the entire world, you want to marry _me._ I would really like to know _why._ It's certainly not my looks," she said a little more bitterly than she intended.

"What's wrong with the way you look? I rather like looking at you," he said. She frowned at that. "You're not ugly, Brienne. You may not be Helen of Troy, but you're _not_ ugly. You're unconventional. Your mouth is wide, yet delectably kissable. I like that your nose isn't as straight as it should be, shows you've got character. You’ve got spunk. Your eyes... I like the fact that when I look into your eyes, I can get lost in them. So blue, so sparkling... When you smile, and I mean _really_ smile, you radiate happiness and joy with your whole self, and _that_ is definitely beautiful. If I wanted a woman whose beauty rivals the sun, I could probably get her. However, she's also not particularly interesting. Or fun. And she's kind of mean. Slapped me once because I told her that her son needed professional help." He stood in front of her and grasped her chin in his fingers. "You, on the other hand, you are kind, generous, and brave. You inspire those around you. What's not to like? What’s not to love?"

She couldn’t help but give him a shy smile. "That's what I'm talking about," he said happily. "Me, on the other hand, I’m really going to have to work at getting you to like me. This whole miscommunication really put a damper on my original plans, but I’m nothing if not flexible.” He bent backward into a handstand to prove it. “See? Totally flexible.” Brienne laughed and he straightened himself. “Gods, you have the best laugh.” She quieted down, self-conscious, but still smiling. She still didn’t quite believe all his confessions of love, but a part of her _wanted_ to believe. _And really, there’s no harm in getting to know the guy._


	4. Fourth Meal, Or Is It Breakfast?

Jaime smiled. _This is going better than I’d hoped!_ He had managed to save himself from the faux paus of kissing her while asleep (and hadn’t technically met yet), and was hoping to get at least a kiss on the cheek before he left.

“So, what non-identifying things can you tell me about yourself?” Brienne asked, getting comfortable at the kitchen bar. He had convinced her to let him cook for her, and the stove was set up so that the chef could converse easily with others in the kitchen. He had always liked to be in the kitchen, but he had doubled his efforts ever since he heard her say that a man who could cook was a sexy beast. She was highly skilled at cooking, and he knew it would take a lot to impress her. He had two pans in front of him, one with the omelet, and one that had the remains of the sauteed mushrooms and onions that had gone into said omelet.

“I like to cook,” he said, attempting to flip the omelet in the pan. It half-heartedly rose in the air and flopped back on itself the wrong way. She laughed as he made a face and straightened it out carefully with the spatula. “But I am admittedly not very skillful at the performance part of it. I can guarantee it’ll taste great though. I like to do my work, helping people is a lot more rewarding than I thought it would be.” He set the pan back down on the burner to cook a little more and got ready to plate it. Once the omelet was on the stark white ceramic, he drizzled some of the mushrooms onto it, along with some chopped fresh spinach leaves.

She carefully cut a piece and blew on it until it was cool enough to eat. “Oh my goodness, that is delicious!” she exclaimed, digging into it. Jaime grinned, though his outfit prevented her from seeing it.

“Arya told me about the god system, how some are replacements for ones who have died,” she said, slowing down on her meal.

“You don’t approve?” he asked, hearing the sadness in her voice.

She shook her head. “It’s not that, I was just thinking about how sad that must be. Having to replace someone after they just died.”

He placed his hand on hers. “It can be rough, but to tell the truth, we haven’t done that in a long time. We’re missing some gods, but we’re having trouble filling the positions. Cersei, she’s Hera, she’s been very resistant to replacing the empty positions.”

“Yes, I heard a bit about her today.” Jaime’s eyebrows shot up, but Brienne didn’t notice. “From what I’ve heard, she seems...a bit lonely, to be honest…”

“Ah, I suppose she is, but she did that to herself. Only one person really puts up with her, and he’s her son. Worst personality ever, too. I can’t stand the little brat.”

“Who is he?” she asked.

“His name is Joffrey, and his power is pain. He is mostly confined to Tartarus, where he can torture the condemned souls and Stannis can keep an eye on him. Oh, he's Hades. Joffrey's father was a very foolish mortal who believed Cersei was his everything. After Robert became Zeus, she went to this mortal and convinced him to give her a child. It was a bad idea, and he regretted it ever since.” Jaime’s hands were clenched tightly. “She’s the goddess of marriage and birth, and she had a son with a man who was not her husband. She didn't have to marry Robert, but she did, then cheated on him. It’s a small wonder that the child was cursed and became a monster.”

“Jaime…” she mumbled. His head shot up.

“B-beg pardon?”

“The man, the father of this monster, he was Jaime, the one who became Eros, wasn’t he?” she asked softly, pushing the last few pieces of omelet around her plate.

“H-how did you guess?” he stammered. Surely she could hear the loud beating of his heart.

“Just put two and two together. I met him once. I was just a child, and I didn’t understand what he was talking about, not until much later. Arya filled in the rest of the details. He must have been feeling very guilty.” She looked down at her plate. She was pushing a small piece around with her fork. “He was so sad when I saw him, but still so kind to me. I hope I get to meet him soon. Tell him how grateful I am that he tried to help me.”

“I’m sure he knows, Brie. But, he’ll probably be around tomorrow. Sandor’s had too much peace lately, and Jaime likes to shake him up a bit with that happens.” He stole a piece of the omelet off her plate. “Damn, I make good food.”

Brienne just laughed.


	5. First Meeting You For The Third Time

The sunlight shone bright and hot the next morning. Brienne was walking with Shireen along the beach. The girl was almost as talkative as Arya, but in a much calmer manner. 

“Father takes me to the Underworld sometimes. He’s not at all like the movies and tv shows portray him. He is simply Death, neither evil nor good.” Shireen stopped to pick up a shell. “He’s worried though.”

“About?” Brienne asked, taking a look at the shell.

“Cersei. She’s creating havoc by not allowing new gods to be created. They’re supposed to bring order to the world, and not having anyone in those roles will eventually destroy it. You are familiar with some of the effects, I hear. The storms that nearly devastated your home island. They were caused by the imbalance in the world.”

“Can the other gods not go around her?”

Shireen shook her head. “She’s the queen of the gods. She has more power at her fingertips than most of the other gods combined. No one knows how. She should be equal to Robert, but she isn’t, and she hasn’t been for a while.”

“She’s a tricky one, alright!” A blond head popped up out of nowhere.

“Jaime!” Brienne and Shireen both exclaimed, though Shireen was ecstatic while Brienne was just really surprised. He hadn’t changed since she first met him all those years ago. Shireen hugged him as Brienne hung back. 

“And who is this?” Jaime asked, turning to Brienne. His arm was around Shireen’s shoulders in an easy manner. It seemed like they were really good friends.  _ Possibly more? _ The thought made her heart ache, but she didn’t want to think about why.

“This is Brienne. She’s the newest inhabitant to the island. Brienne, this is--”

“Jaime, god of love, also known as Eros,” she said with a small smile. “We’ve met before.”

“Have we?” Jaime asked, considering her. She felt her heartbeat quicken a bit. He was still the most handsome man she had ever seen. “Oh, yes, I remember those eyes. Little crying girl on Tarth?”

“Yes, you...you were very kind to me. I’ve been wanting to thank you for years.” She bowed low to him. “Thank you. You have no idea what it meant to me.”

"Hey now, no bowing here. On this island, we're all equals." He smiled at her when she straightened back up. "You seem to have grown up well. What are you doing here?"

"Oh… um…" She had told the story more than a few times by now, the entire story, but suddenly, telling it to Jaime made her nervous. 

"One of the gods is wooing her," Shireen said helpfully. "But we don't know who."

"Not even by process of elimination?" he asked. "I mean, if it's just the gods and not the goddesses--"

"It is," Brienne said, a little more stiffly than she had intended. Jaime didn't seem to notice. 

"Then that means Robert, Sandy, myself, Loras, Stannis, Renly, Jon, Gendry and Tyrion. Knocking out the ones who are in committed relationships or not interested in women, that leaves Sandy, myself, Stannis and Tyrion, so--"

"I did  _ not _ intend to try to figure it out," Brienne said, bristling a bit. "And I would ask that you keep your ideas on who it is to yourself."

Jaime was stricken. "I was just trying to help--"

"I didn't  _ ask _ for your help. So please, do _not_ help me on this." Brienne turned to Shireen, "I have something I need to do. I will see you later." She didn't even acknowledge Jaime as she stormed off, cursing herself to have held him in such high regard for so long.


End file.
